July 14, 2026

Bob Coleman
Founder & Publisher

SBA Hot Topic Tuesday: East West Bank Backs Lendistry with $100 Million Credit Facility 

How do non-bank lenders and CDFIs fund loans?

Lendistry answers part of the question this week by announcing it has secured a new $100 million credit facility from East West Bank, along with a $100 million accordion feature that allows the facility to expand as demand grows. 

Unlike the $75 million East West Bank facility announced last year that funded Lendistry’s SBA 7(a) lending platform, this financing supports a very different business line: Lendistry’s Airport Concessions Program (ACP).

Banks fund loans primarily with customer deposits. Nonbank lenders do not have that source of funding. Instead, they must continually raise warehouse lines, credit facilities, and institutional capital to originate loans before those loans are sold, securitized, or repaid. Growth depends as much on access to capital as it does on originating quality loans.

What is the Airport Concessions Program?

ACP was created specifically to finance small businesses operating within airports.

Many travelers assume the Starbucks, Hudson News, restaurants, and specialty retailers inside airport terminals are owned by large national companies. In many cases, they are not. They are locally owned concessionaires operating under licensing or concession agreements.

These businesses require substantially more capital than a typical Main Street retailer.

Airport concession operators must invest heavily in tenant improvements, specialized equipment, inventory, security requirements, and buildouts before opening. They also operate under complex concession agreements that many commercial lenders have little experience underwriting. As a result, the sector has historically been underserved by traditional financing.

Lendistry launched ACP in 2019 to address that gap. According to the company, the program has deployed $98 million to airport businesses across 16 states. The new East West Bank facility expands that effort. 

Lendistry CEO Everett K. Sands describes the financing this way:

“Airport concession businesses are historically undercapitalized due to their unique business structures and complex financing needs. We took the time to learn, then built ACP with the right team and technology to provide the capital they need. We’re grateful to East West Bank for their support and excited to keep working with them to change the game for small business owners and their communities.” 

“East West Bank and Lendistry share a commitment to expanding economic opportunity for small businesses,” says Andrew Stein, Executive Vice President, Head of Commercial Banking & Specialty Finance Eastern Region. “We’re pleased to support Lendistry’s Airport Concessions Program following the success of our SBA 7(a) financing relationship. As Lendistry continues to grow, East West Bank is proud to serve as its financial bridge, providing comprehensive banking solutions to support its long-term growth and the entrepreneurs it serves.” 

The transaction illustrates how successful warehouse relationships expand over time. East West Bank initially provided Lendistry with a $75 million credit facility in 2025 to support its SBA 7(a) lending platform. With that relationship established, the bank has now extended financing to support Lendistry’s Airport Concessions Program.